In my herbal practice, I use predominantly tinctures and teas with my family and clients. There are many herbal products beyond tea and tinctures, though, and I love experimenting with them all! Herbal syrups, infused vinegars and oils. Herbal glycerites are on this list too, can be helpful at times. In fact, alcohol-free herbal glycerites are becoming increasingly common for people who, for whatever reason, prefer an herbal medicine without alcohol. They are a favourite of children as they taste good!

Glycerine was discovered in the 1700s and came into use by herbalists around 1846. This liquid is obtained by the hydrolysis of vegetable fats or fixed oils. I use food grade organic glycerine which is a clear, colourless, and odourless liquid with a very sweet taste and the consistency of a thick syrup.

Glycerine is an effective solvent for extracting beneficial attributes from plants without the use of alcohol. The results are known as “glycerites” and can be a good choice for offering herbal support to people who are sensitive to alcohol for any reason. Traditional tinctures, made with alcohol have a shelf life of 4+ years. A glycerite, on the other hand, should be used within 1-2 years. It does NOT extract herbal constiuents as well as does alcohol so I don't consider it a replacement for traditional tinctures. It has a place, however, in the apothecary.

I tend to make glycerites from roses, lemon balm, chamomile, elder, fennel, ginger for the most part. Herbalists do make herbal glycerites with many herbs. Here are some of the other poplular herbal glycerites:

Dandelion
Echinacea
Hawthorn
Mugwort
Mullein
Nettle

Oats (milky oat tops)
Peppermint (or other mints)
Ginseng (from powdered root)
Vitex
Valerian

Check out this post about Rose Glycerite and stay tuned for the "Glycerite 101 Template" below

Rose Glycerite ~ EASY to make. Uplifting!

How To Make Alcohol-Free Herbal Glycerites

Alcohol-Free Glycerite Template 'recipe'

Follow these instructions to make glycerites from your favourite herbs ~ dried or fresh!

Ingredients

Glycerine
Distilled water for dried herb
Herb fresh or dried , chopped

Instructions

Fill a glass canning jar ½ way with dried herb (or ⅔ way full with fresh herb).
Chop dried herb well before mixing with menstruum.
In a separate jar, mix 3 parts organic vegetable glycerine and 1 part distilled water.
Shake well to combine.
Pour liquid mixture over the herbs to cover and fill the jar.
Label your jar with date, herbs used (note fresh or dry) + ratio of glycerine to water
Shake the jar daily for minimum of 4 weeks.
Strain with muslin or cheesecloth into an amber (or other coloured bottle) + label with all the details (in #6)

Recipe Notes

Note: I use a 75% glycerine to 25% water ratio when making glycerites with dried herbs. When making a glycerite with fresh plant material, I use 100% glycerine for my extraction.

I first learned how to make herbal glycerites from my dear friend, teacher + mentor, Rosemary Gladstar. At that time, we made a delicious Lemon Balm herbal glycerite, which remains my favourite of all --
In this case, with the template above, I always use fresh lemon balm herb.

Here's an except from
Rosemary Gladstar's Medicinal Herbs: A Beginner's Guide:

To purchase your own copy, here's a link for you.

Lemon Balm ~
How to create your own Herbal Glycerite:

"Wonderfully relaxing and calming. It is probably the most delightful tincture you'll ever taste. It's almost cordial like in flavor and could be served as an after dinner drink, but because it's non-alcoholic, it's perfect for children and people who prefer not to use alcohol-based products."

To make the herbal glycerite:

Fill a wide-mouthed glass jar with lemon balm leaves.
Prepare a solution of 3 parts glycerine and 1 part water.
Fill the jar with the solution.
Cover and let sit in a warm spot for 4 weeks.
Strain and bottle the liquid.
Store at room temperature and use within 6 months.

How much herbal glycerite do I take?

For adults: Take 2-3 dropperfuls as needed
For children: Adjust the dose according to age, weight or size.
For example:

When the adult dose is 2 droppersful (60 drops), the following is recommended for children:

Age -- Dosage
Younger than 3 months -- 2 drops
3 to 6 months -- 3 drops
6 to 9 months -- 4 drops
9 to 12 months -- 5 drops
12 to 18 months -- 7 drops
18 to 24 months -- 8 drops
2 to 3 years -- 10 drops
3 to 4 years -- 12 drops
4 to 6 years -- 15 drops
6 to 9 years -- 24 drops
9 to 12 years -- 30 drops

Other ways to determine dosage:
Young's Rule - Add 12 to the child's age. Divide the child's age by this total. Example: dosage for a 4 year old: 4 divided by 16 (4+12) = .25, or ¼ of the adult dosage.

Cowling's Rule - Divide the number of the child's next birthday by 24. Example: dosage for a child who is 3, turning 4 would be: 4 divided by 24 = .16, or ⅙ of the adult dosage.

Reference used:
“Herbal Remedies for Children's Health” by Rosemary Gladstar

Here's the Amazon link for online purchase.

Pin this for later + plan to make your own herbal glycerites soon!
Do follow the StudioBotanica Pinterest board for
LOTS of herb-infused ideas!

Here's to our health ~ and to having healing remedies on hand when needed at home.

until next time.. Carol xo